Early returns show the New England Patriots, badly in need of an influx of young talent, may have scored big with their 2023 draft class.
The Patriots have nearly wrapped up their first phase of training camp. The team practiced Sunday and has another practice Monday before leaving for joint practices with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday. The Patriots will practice with the Packers twice, play a preseason game in Green Bay, then travel straight to Tennessee for two more practices and a preseason game against the Titans.
But before they compete in practice against other teams, let’s first run through the six standouts from the team’s two weeks-plus of practices in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Wide receiver Demario Douglas has made an impression early in training camp with his speed, agility and sure hands. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
WR Demario Douglas
“Pop” popped off in training camp and was used like a near-lock for a roster spot in the Patriots’ first preseason game, taking just two snaps before joining established veterans on the sideline. The Patriots liked what they saw out of Douglas in OTAs and minicamp. He immediately was part of a group of skill-position players spending time with starting quarterback Mac Jones early in practice on the first day of training camp. He also seemed to leapfrog 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton later in the summer.
Douglas’ speed, quickness and agility consistently stood out in team drills, and the separation he gained in 1-on-1s is the stuff of legends. He also proved to have sure hands.
The Liberty product was a favorite target of Bailey Zappe and earned more and more reps with Jones as training camp wore on. Ask any player on the Patriots’ roster about Douglas, and their eyes will light up.
“Yeah, Pop Shotta,” Jones said earlier this month. “That’s my guy. I’m going to call him Pop Shotta. Anyways, he’s a great kid, works really hard.”
Douglas is only 5-foot-8 and said recently he weighs around 183 pounds. His future is in the slot, where the Patriots have had a litany of impressive performers. As far as stature goes, he’s more similar to Wes Welker than Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Troy Brown or Jakobi Meyers. If Douglas isn’t ready for snaps right away, then veteran wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne and tight end Mike Gesicki can also play in the slot.
Douglas can also return punts, but those duties likely will be filled by cornerback Marcus Jones.
WR DeVante Parker
Parker, who signed a three-year contract extension this offseason, hasn’t been quite as consistent as Douglas, but he has had a flair for big plays this summer. He also has been one of Mac Jones’ favorite targets.
The former Miami Dolphins wide receiver was Jones’ best downfield threat and dominated contested catches after a slightly slow start to camp. Parker won battles for big gains over cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez, Jack Jones and Isaiah Bolden. He finished 5-2 in 1-on-1 drills.
Parker only caught 31 passes in 13 games last season but averaged 17.4 yards per reception. If he stays healthy, he could be due for a bounce-back season. He’s an entrenched starter alongside fellow skill-position players Rhamondre Stevenson, Smith-Schuster and Hunter Henry.
TE Hunter Henry
Henry was Jones’ top overall target at least through the early portion of training camp. He was a touchdown vacuum through the first week of practices before slowing down a bit once pads were strapped on.
Henry has been well ahead of Gesicki in the tight end pecking order. He caught a career-high nine touchdowns from Jones in their first year together in 2021. They connected for just one score in 2022.
If training camp is any indication, then Henry should be getting fed in the red zone in new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s offense. He said he slimmed down this offseason, and that appeared to be paying off with improved fluidity.
Josh Uche’s quickness helped him record 11.5 sacks for the Patriots last season. He is in a contract year and has been impressive in training camp. Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini
EDGE Josh Uche
Uche is a fascinating pass-rusher. The Patriots typically prefer bigger, stronger edge defenders, and Uche is one of the NFL’s smallest edge defenders at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds.
But what Uche lacks in stature, he more than makes up for in quickness. Former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia spoke with WEEI on Friday and said quickness and speed is harder for blockers to handle than power. That certainly proved to be the case with Uche last season, when he registered 11.5 sacks in a breakout season.
Now in a contract year as a 2020 second-round pick, Uche was regularly in the backfield during full-team competitive drills. He also was a big winner in 1-on-1 pass rush drills.
DL Keion White
It wasn’t a massive surprise to see White shine in Thursday’s preseason debut based on what he showed in training camp. The rookie second-round pick was a regular winner in 1-on-1 pass rush drills and earned multiple sacks in 11-on-11s.
At 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, White is a rare athlete who wound up standing up on the edge for 15 snaps Thursday night. He kicked inside for 12 more snaps and was on the punt coverage team. The versatile defender ran a 4.79-second 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process.
White, 24, feels like the type of player who will cause pundits to scratch their heads years from now and wonder how he fell to the second round of the draft. Simply from a size perspective, White is not dissimilar to NFL legend J.J. Watt. And Watt wasn’t standing up on the edge very frequently during his career.
S Kyle Dugger
Another key defender in a contract year from the 2020 draft, Dugger should take over Devin McCourty’s post as the Patriots’ top safety. Dugger picked off Jones three times in training camp.
Time will tell whether Dugger takes more reps in the box or at free safety, but he certainly continued his ball-hawking ways while facing his own offense. Dugger has seven interceptions over his last two seasons, and he scored three defensive touchdowns last year.
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